SBA online training programs offer valuable, free guidance for existing and aspiring entrepreneurs
Finding the time or resources to help you stay up to date with small business tips and trends can be difficult. Whether you’re looking to expand your current business or start a new one, the SBA’s digital learning platform is a useful source to support your education on entrepreneurial best practices and available financing options.
An array of SBA Learning Center courses are available for you to take on your timeline. Each course is set up to include objectives designed to help you get the most out of the course so that concepts can be used to support your business needs.
Courses are designed for both aspiring and existing entrepreneurs and each includes several sub-courses to provide further depth. Best of all they are free, and you can take them any time and from anywhere. Courses include topics such as:
- Planning a new business
- Managing your existing business
- Marketing your existing business
- Growing your business
- Mentor/Protégé program
In addition to courses above, additional one-off training is available for female entrepreneurs, veterans and any professional desiring executive level training support.
Women own or co-own 45% of all businesses in the U.S. so the SBA has created a course to support female entrepreneurs. Ascent is divided into major topics called “journeys,” developed by experts in women’s entrepreneurship.
You choose any journey to start and skip the ones you already know. Within each journey you’ll find “excursions” with the tools you need to master a topic. Each excursion includes a time estimate for completion. You’re the boss of when and how to apply these tools to your business.
There are a variety of things you can explore through excursions including:
- Fireside chats – Learn from experts about how women grow their businesses.
- Success stories – Be inspired by stories from real-world entrepreneurs.
- Discussion guides – Use questions to stimulate thinking for you, your advisors or team.
- Key insights – Understand key topics to support your business growth.
- Self-assessments – Benchmark your current practices through self-focused inventories.
Boots to Business (B2B) is the two-step entrepreneurial training program offered by the SBA within the Department of Defense’s Transition Assistance Program (TAP) and is open to service members (including members of the National Guard and Reserves), veterans, and their spouses. The curriculum provides eligible students interested in exploring business ownership or other self-employment opportunities by leading the creation of a business plan and supporting research.
Participants are also introduced to SBA resources available to access start-up capital, technical assistance and contracting opportunities. An array of entrepreneurship training programs are provided to veterans and their families with the resources and skills for entrepreneurial success..
T.H.R.I.V.E. Emerging Leaders Reimagined
This platform acts as an executive level training option for interested professionals. It accelerates high-potential for small-sized businesses like yours by engaging with entrepreneurs and business professionals of all backgrounds and experience levels.
T.H.R.I.V.E is a six-month curriculum that has been designed to make it easier for executives and entrepreneurs to elevate their business to an entirely different level while supporting innovation and excellence. Past participants of the Emerging Leaders program have been able to create over 11,000 jobs, generate nearly $1 billion in financing and secured over $4 billion in federal government contracts. The biggest difference is that T.H.R.I.V.E. is customized to its students.